New parents shed 13 STONE of baby weight together after ditching their 8,000 calorie-a-day fast food diet
- Debbie and Brandon Potter, from Bethpage, New York, have slimmed
- At their heaviest the couple's combined weight reached 34st 6lbs
- Consumed 8,000 calories between them every day
- Have now shed 13st between them and love working out
A couple who both piled on the pounds during pregnancy have lost a combined 13 stone of baby weight by ditching their 8,000 calorie diet.
Parents Debbie and Brandon Potter, from Bethpage, New York, gave into food cravings and late night takeaways after the birth of their first child Brayson, now aged three, in 2013.
At their heaviest the couple's combined weight reached 34st 6lbs (485lbs) after consuming 8,000 calories a day - at their worst scoffing fast food for every meal.
Debbie Potter, from Bethpage, New York, put on the pregnancy pounds reaching 15st 3lbs (215lb) at her heaviest after consuming three takeaways a day, left. Now Debbie weighs 8st 5lb (120lbs), going from a size 18 (US 14) to a size 4 (US size zero)
Debbie, now 28, started dieting after struggling to bath Brayson and their second child Jonah, aged 18 months, because the extra weight left her exhausted.
And after watching husband Brandon, 29, successfully lose nearly three stone (50lbs) in three months, she switched her high-calorie convenience food for home cooked meals.
By exercising six times a week, including daily family walks, together the determined couple lost an impressive 13 stone (182lbs) between them.
Now Debbie weighs 8st 5lb (120lbs), going from a size 18 (US 14) to a size 4 (US zero) and Brandon has dropped from 20st 7lb (290lbs) to 12st 8lb (180lbs).
Parents Debbie and Brandon Potter pictured now they are at their slimmest. By exercising six times a week, including daily family walks, together the determined couple lost an impressive 13 stone (185lbs) between them
At their heaviest the couple's combined weight reached 34st 6lbs (485lbs) after consuming 8,000 calories a day - at their worst scoffing fast food for every meal (pictured while she was pregnant with Jonah - now 18months - and holding Brayson)
Debbie, 28, started dieting after struggling to bath her kids because the extra weight left her exhausted. After watching hubby Brandon, 29, successfully lose nearly three stone (50lb) in three months, she switched her high-calorie convenience food for home cooked meals
The pair, pictured at their heaviest, said they used to just put the kids in front of the TV because they didn't have energy didn't want to take them out anywhere
The fit mother and father are currently expecting their third child and have vowed not to fall back into their previous bad habits.
Debbie, an online fitness advisor, said: 'I was heavy when I met my husband, but I continued to put on more weight during my pregnancy and used the children as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted.
'No one would say anything to me about my eating habits because I was pregnant and I had an excuse to be fat.
'I never thought about what I was eating, I just ate whatever I wanted and whatever felt good in the moment.
'I had a lot of bad habits. I never drank water and was grossed out by the thought of it, all I would drink was soda.
Debbie said: 'Losing weight has improved our appearances, but the biggest improvement is that we want to go out more, do more things and we don't worry about what people think any more'
'My children are now my reason to stay healthy, not my excuse as to why I can't,' said the newly trim soon-to-be-mother-of-three
'My light bulb moment was when I was giving my two kids a bath and I realised I couldn't stand up afterwards.
'I had to pull myself up holding onto the sink and even doing that was tiring. I was humiliated because I needed assistance to do simple tasks.
'As hard as this is to admit, before I used to just put my kids in front of the TV because I didn't have energy I didn't want to take them out anywhere.
'I felt defeated and realised I was only doing my kids a disservice by leading such an unhealthy lifestyle.
'Now, since losing weight, all I want to do is to be out - I take them to parks, to the store, I want to do everything I can in life with them.
'My children are now my reason to stay healthy, not my excuse as to why I can't.
'My husband and I have encouraged each other and helped one another to keep on track when times get hard.
'We both shed our post-pregnancy baby weight and we're the healthiest and happiest we've ever been.'
Now the couple, pictured at their heaviest, are expecting their third child and are determined to learn from their weight loss problems of the past
Debbie believes her initial weight gain began in rebellion against a traumatic relationship in which an ex-boyfriend used to bully her - leading her to developing anorexia and dropping down to 6st 7lb (95lbs).
She started taking diet pills and skipping meals as a result of the mental abuse and eventually was left with an underweight BMI of 14.9 - the healthy range is between 18.5 to 24.9.
Debbie added: 'After that relationship finished I ate whatever I wanted, I was told no one would ever want to date a "fat cow like me" so I gave up and piled on more and more weight.
'I automatically associated healthy eating or going to the gym with the mental abuse, which I believe is why I stayed overweight for so long.'
Years later, after starting a family together with Brandon, the parents continued to increase in size due to fast food binges during pregnancies, with Debbie eventually weighing 15st 3lb (215lbs) and Brandon 20st 7lb (290lbs).
Now having both lost more than six stone (84lbs) each, they attribute their success to exercise, clean eating and avoid temptation by creating healthy adaptions of their favourite recipes.
Debbie said: 'Losing weight has improved our appearances, but the biggest improvement is that we want to go out more, do more things and we don't worry about what people think any more.
'As a couple we're always out doing something, some kind of activities - the weight loss has improved our family's overall lives.
'The best thing is, when I look at old pictures of me and my husband, it makes me feel happy because I know he loves me just as much at 215lbs as he does now.
'He thought I was the most beautiful thing ever and always wanted to show me off, even when I was heavy.'
Debbie put on the pregnancy weight by consuming three takeaways a day eating 8,000 calories a day with her husband
Now the couple are expecting their third child and are determined to learn from their weight loss problems of the past.
Brandon, a financial advisor, said: 'With my "pregnancy weight", it crept up over time and was definitely due to the food I was eating.
'Every time my wife was hungry I would eat with her.
'Part of it was down to "sympathy eating". Whenever she wanted a late night McDonald's I would eat too so she didn't feel as bad about it.'
Brandon attributes his slimming success to his wife after going from an XL (UK XXL) to a small/medium (UK medium).
He added: 'I've been able to keep on track because of the support of my wife, she's been amazing.
'We are both a lot more active. This summer, while my wife has been pregnant we've been walking about four to five miles a night.
'This pregnancy, we're being very cautious, avoiding takeaways and watching what we eat.'
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